Oft in the Stilly Night
by Callisto Callispi
Summary: It wasn't supposed to be like this. The Shikon was supposed to heal, not destroy. Now, Sesshoumaru battles to redeem his world with the miko Kagome, who does not remember who he is or where he comes from. The past is no more, and the future is shattering.
1. Frozen

**Author's Note**: I've been writing this story since 2004, and for some reason, it's stayed with me until now. Revamped for a clearer story line!

This fic will initially be confusing and non-linear…in many different ways. :) Obviously slightly AU. I mean, I feel like all of Kagome's time bending and whatnot is bound to have SOME consequences.

**Disclaimers: **I do not own Inuyasha nor the occasional song lyrics or poems that I post. The original artists will be credited.

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**Oft in the Stilly Night**  
By: Callisto Callispi  
Chapter 1: Frozen

_Oft in the stilly night,  
Ere slumber's chain hath bound me,  
Fond memory brings the light  
Of other days around me,  
The smiles, the tears, the boyhood years,  
The words of love then spoken,  
The eyes that shone, now dimmed and gone,  
The cheerful hearts now broken!  
Thus, in the stilly night,  
Ere slumber's chain hath bound me,  
Sad memory brings the light  
Of other days around me._

"Oft in the Stilly Night" – Thomas Moore

They were all dead here—humans, beasts, and youkai alike.

Once luscious forests oozing with life and noise had long ago fallen into pensive silence. The sharp edge of ice waltzed death and bite with the ever-swirling wind. The chilly shadow of twilight mastered the plains. Thick fumes of fog choked the mountaintops. It was a wasteland, a damned land.

But like a lord overlooking his domain, he walked on. His pale hair and skin blended seamlessly with the land, though his golden eyes glinted like a dark, molten star. His posture was straight, his gait easy, and his features composed in a mask of apathy. His eyes, however, were far too wild to fool an observant onlooker. His eyes constantly searched his deserted surroundings. Nothing in this frozen wasteland would escape his gaze, and yet, he could not see everything. He could not see _her_.

Black boots moved silently upon the gray, treacherous snow, taking one noiseless step after another. The lord carefully stepped over what looked like a block of ice but what was actually a human corpse. Hundreds upon hundreds of bodies littered the forest—some had died standing, some had died lying. It did not matter, for death and the cold overtook them all in the end, leaving no more than horror-stricken marionettes carved from ice.

The power of the Shikon no Tama was extraordinary.

They had tried to flee her blizzard, but she was quick with her work. One strike was all she needed to finish her business. She handed them death on the edges of biting snow and ice. They had screamed and pleaded for mercy, even as the frost tightened their skin and froze their eyes in their sockets.

How ironic that she had driven them to this forest, the very forest where she had imprisoned the worthless hanyou to a tree those many, many years ago.

Suddenly, he leapt high into the air, as silent as a phantom winter gale. A shrill shriek followed, shredding the veil-like silence of this grave. An overgrown bee the size of the lord's chest dropped to into the silver snow, split down the middle. Thin streaks of black blood soiled the frost soon after.

"I would have though you more original, wench," he bit out as he bent down and wiped the blood off of his claws.

She appeared, just as Sesshoumaru knew she would. He did not know how she managed to conceal herself from his eyes—strong witchery, perhaps—but he bristled at her corpse-like presence and smelled the putrid rot of her dead yet living body.

Sesshoumaru felt a cold burning in his heart as he gazed upon the corpse.

She stood quite a distance above him on the uprooting, vein-like branches of a tall tree. She stepped almost shyly out from the shadows, glowing like a goddess of death under the pale beams of the moon. No longer did she wear the modest robes of a priestess. Now, she was clothed like a princess. Black silk woven with flowers clothed her arms and chest, flattering her pale complexion, and a long blood-red skirt of fine silk flared from her waist, the hem delicately skirting the tips of her toes. She smiled softly, enticingly, and tilted her head slightly upwards. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. The Shikon no Tama, almost whole, glittered against her breast like a black diamond.

"Originality?" Her voice sent shills up his spine. "Are you referring to those bees? Yes, they do resemble Naraku's, don't they? My, my, who knew that the great Lord of the Western Lands would concern himself with such details?"

He stared up at her, golden eyes boring into black. "Where is Rin?"

The woman smiled more deeply. "She is unharmed. For now. Do you comply with my demands?"

"I will not hand over my own brother's corpse to you, wench."

Kikyo's eyes glimmered with amusement. "Your _half_ brother."

"Brother all the same, though I am ashamed to admit that the worthless hanyou is any blood relative of mine, especially considering his loathsome taste in women."

Kikyo laughed. Her voice shuddered the forest. Sesshoumaru wanted nothing more than to rip her throat out.

"Why torture yourself like this, my lord?" she mused. "I strike a simple bargain: you tell me the location of Inuyasha's resting place, and I will let the girl go."

Sesshoumaru stared up at her, expressionless. "You truly believe that I do not know."

Kikyo's eyes narrowed slightly. "Know what?"

"The Shikon no Tama. What will you do after you take out his eye for the little shard embedded behind it?"

Kikyo's eyes were but slits. Her voice lost all of her soft humor and scraped sharply against his ears. "You fool, do you truly believe that you can stand against me? Look around you, great Lord of the West! Your domain but a wasteland of ice! This forest, the snow-covered peaks, and the breath from your lips right now—I have created it all. I have collected the Shikon shards, and I have defeated Naraku. You, with your new arm, without your Toukijin or the Tenseiga, think that you can defeat me?" She laughed hollowly. "You are more a fool than I had thought. I offer you your life, great lord. You can rule once more your precious lands and keep your little youkai, if you give me Inuyasha's resting place."

"You humor me," he replied. "The day that this Sesshoumaru becomes another's is the day when all hell breaks loose upon the earth."

Kikyo's shoulders shook as she chuckled, her eyes glowing eerily red. "I have been to hell, my lord, and I find it a deliciously vicious place. Perhaps I will shatter the earth and allow my minions to enter!"

She whipped her arm towards him, and from the trees, the bees emerged. Their beady red eyes focused on Sesshoumaru, and all at once, they attacked, their sharp stingers pointed right at his chest. Sesshoumaru jumped backwards, slashing at the insects with his claws. He had lost his Toukijin, his only useful sword, a while back, and he direly wished for it now. Carcasses of bees fell to the ground, splattering the icy dirt with their black blood. However, as he slew one, two more appeared to take its place.

Suddenly, a stinger stabbed and shattered his armor. He grit his teeth and sliced the bee. Sesshoumaru knew he couldn't win this battle. He backed through the forest, careful to avoid trees behind him while Kikyo followed, carried by her Soul Collectors, laughing at Sesshoumaru's futile attempts to kill her bees.

"Give up, Sesshoumaru. My bees will engulf you and take you to my lair. I still need to get your filthy brother's carcass, and I feel I shall enjoy torturing you. You do so look like Inuyasha…"

Sesshoumaru clenched his teeth. The miko was mad. The Shikon shards warped her mind completely. He dodged more bees and their stingers, but though his claws were dripping with blood, there were more. He finally fought himself to a clearing. He saw the black sky above, riddled with stars. Kikyo could not manipulate the heavens, at least not yet, and he found a strange comfort in that.

Sesshoumaru suddenly felt something hard hit his back. For a wild moment, he thought that a bee had finally gotten him. But he felt no pain, and upon stealing a quick peak behind, he saw that he bumped into the side of a well. Kikyo stopped abruptly.

"Get away from there," she screeched.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow.

"Remove yourself, or I will rip you apart, limb for limb!"

Sesshoumaru jumped up and stood at the edge of the well, decided on his great gamble when Kikyo's face betrayed growing horror. With one more slash at the bee, he threw himself in the well, hearing Kikyo's mad shrieks above. A sudden light engulfed him, and then he was gone.

**X**

Kagome whipped open the windows to her room and breathed in the cool summer air.

"Just a few more days, Kagome, and you're home free. Then, off to college you go!"

She grinned happily at the thought. College was going to be awesome. Classes of _her_ choosing, partying all night long, and the really cool boyfriend she just _had_ to meet. Kagome leaned on her windowsill and sighed, watching the stars twinkle. Yeah, that was what she dreamed about: a really handsome, tall, charismatic guy with whom she would fall in love, then marry, and then start a family.

But first, she had to study for her exams.

Her smile quickly disappeared. After freshman year, she knew that those exams would haunt her for the rest of her high school career. She did well on everything else, like daily assignments and quizzes, but when stakes were high, exams somehow got her into a nervous wreck, and she'd mess everything up. It didn't help that the fact that how well she did on this one exam would affect the college that she would be accepted into.

Kagome sighed. Well, time to get back to studying. Just as she was about to go back to her desk, a bright flash of light coming from the small shrine where her grandpa's Bone Eater's well was caught her eye. For a moment, she felt goose bumps trailing down her arms, even in this muggy summer heat. What in the world…?

"Sota," she suddenly realized. "I can't believe you. You're supposed to be over at Juro's for the night, and you come here of all nights to play pranks on me?"

She quickly threw a light jacket over her pajama tank shorts, and she ran down the stairs towards the wooden building. Summer was in full swing, and even the night was warm. She could smell the trees and the flowers, and otherwise, she would have liked to enjoy the relatively cool night if she weren't so pissed at her brother.

"You know that you're not supposed to play in there," Kagome said, approaching the door. "It's almost midnight, Sota! You too, Juro! Get out of there with your firecrackers!"

No answer. She shoved the door, glaring in the darkness. Her hands groped for the flashlight that her grandpa placed around somewhere.

"You are in such big trouble. Just because Mom and Gramps are away doesn't mean you can—"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kagome felt a hand cover her mouth, muffling her screams. Another hand wrapped around her waist and quickly slammed her into a wall. Kagome kicked her legs, struggling to breathe and scream. She was going to be murdered!

"Miko?" the figure suddenly gasped.

"Mmmph?" Kagome kicked her legs once more. This only caused the man to push her harder against the wall. "Mmmmpth! Mmmph!" she protested against his hand, closing her eyes as she felt something sharp graze her neck. He had a knife! He was going to kill her!

A few moments passed, but nothing happened. Kagome inched open her eye, not that she could see anything, then shuddered as in relief as she felt the tip of the knife leave her throat. The attacker's grip loosened.

"I will let you speak, human, but do not scream."

Kagome nodded, or at least tried to nod, her mind racing on adrenalin and fear.

The man released his hand from her mouth but still kept his hand on her waist, pushing her against the wall. She flinched, feeling her muscles cramp and bruise.

"Who are you?" she demanded sharply, hysteria lacing her voice. "What are you doing in our shrine?"

"Shrine?" he snarled, voice grating in her ear.

Kagome took in a shuddering breath, forcing herself as calm as she could get. "L-look, we can talk about this. Just let me go. I swear I won't call the cops on you, but let me go!"

"Cops?" the intruder growled once more, though a touch of confusion colored his voice.

Kagome tried peering into the dark, but all she could make out was a shadow of this man's figure. He was very tall indeed, and broad shouldered. Of course. What else could she expect with a grip so strong! Her upper body couldn't budge a centimeter against his hold. Then, she heard him take in breath, so subtly that she almost missed it.

"Inuyasha's woman! You are alive?"

Kagome stopped struggling momentarily. "Inuyasha? What? His woman? I think you got the wrong person! I don't know any Inuyasha!"

A momentary pause followed. Then, without warning, he threw Kagome over his shoulder and ran out of the shrine, jumping up into the air. Kagome screamed, watching the ground below her go farther and farther away. The wind rushed through her clothes. _Oh my god, oh my god, who is this nut case?_ Where were his jet packs? How was he _flying_?

They soon landed on top of the highest branch of the highest tree in the small forest near their house. The man dumped her onto the branch, almost knocking the wind out of her as she landed on her stomach. She flailed as she wrapped her arms and legs around the branch, praying that she wouldn't fall, and manage to hug the branch to her body. They were dizzyingly up high, maybe almost two hundred feet up, and Kagome couldn't decide whether she wanted to faint or throw up. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Pathetic," the man said disdainfully. "And to think that you are the miko incarnate."

It took Kagome almost a minute to regain her voice, though despite herself, she felt her anger peak. "Look, buster, I don't know who the heck you are, but you had better get me down from here."

"Your voice quivers. Why?"

"We're hundreds of feet up in the air! Why do you think?" she nearly shrieked, opening her eyes to glare up at the man. As she met his gaze, Kagome gasped and momentarily forgot her fear. A man stared down at her, indeed. A man with long silver hair, just like the pale beams of the moonlight. His golden eyes—golden eyes?—stared down at her, full of disdain. But by god, this man was...handsome? Was that the right word to describe him? After all, who, these days, grew their hair that long and dyed it silver? And who wore golden contacts? She then noticed that he wore a kimono, a style she recognized originating from the aristocracy of the Sengoku jidai. The rest of his armor and the sash had some mainland influence, but the style was most _definitely _from the Sengoku jidai.

"Who…are you?" she asked, managing the courage to unwrap her arms from the branch and struggling up to sit.

The man seemed surprised. His eyebrows rose slightly at her query, though his expression did not change one bit. "You have forgotten me already, miko?"

"Forgotten you? We've never even met!" she cried, exasperated. "I'm telling you, you've got the wrong person. I don't know you, or this miko you claim me as, or this…this…who was it? Inuyasha?"

The man seemed to glare at her, and Kagome stared right back. Silent minutes passed until Kagome shifted uncomfortably on the tree branch, and said, struggling not to look down, "So since we've got that cleared up, can you get me down?"

He bent down with animalistic poise and stared at Kagome straight in the eye. Shocked, her breaths came in ragged, nervous gasps. Was he not afraid of heights?

"My brother would turn over in his grave to hear his lover say that she had forgotten him so easily."

Kagome narrowed her eyes. "L-lover?"

"Why do you play this charade, miko?"

"I'm not anyone's lover! I'm no miko! My name is Kagome. KA-GO-ME! I'm just a high school senior trying to graduate and go off to college." Her voice trembled now, not from fear, but from a sudden frustration. She wanted to get down, and at this rate, they might stay up here all night. "Please, I'm begging you, let me down and leave me alone. I'm not the person that you want. Please."

The man stood up to his full height. Kagome looked up, her chest thumping with uncertainty. Would he listen to her? Would he let her down? Kagome managed to get into a sitting on the branch, leaning her weight against the tree trunk. She peered through the foliage, trying to find some descending branches that might allow her to climb down, just in case this man decided to leave her stranded.

"You truthfully do not know, miko?" he asked finally.

Kagome shook her head. "I don't know who you are, or this Inuyasha."

"This poses a problem for me."

Kagome blinked. "Why?"

He stared at her for a few moments before speaking again. "I can not get back to my…land."

She glared. "Look, for the last time, I am not this miko you keep—"

"Silence, human!" the man snarled. His voice held so much rage that she did cease. "Do not dare to speak so brazenly in front of Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands."

The Killing Perfection? That is his name?

A long silence followed. Then, with the rustle of the leaves, Kagome said softly, "Take the metro. I'll give you my metro card if you don't have any money on you."

The man called Sesshoumaru sniffed disdainfully. "You speak with a foreign tongue, miko."

"The metro. The train. It takes about a few hours to Matsue…it's one of the biggest cities west of here. Don't worry about the card—I can always get another one."

Sesshoumaru stared at the young woman curiously. "A card? Money? I have no use for those items. I am not of your world."

Kagome narrowed her eyes. It was then that she really took note of his clawed hands and the stripes on his cheek. No way, an _alien_?

"Do you possess a shard of the Shikon jewel?" he asked.

"Shikon what?"

"I should have known."

He swiftly picked Kagome up, this time, carrying her in his arms rather than unceremoniously over his shoulder, and jumped down from the tree branch. Kagome stifled a scream and grabbed a hold of his kimono, squeezing her eyes shut.

Instead of the splat on the asphalt that she had expected, he seemed to lightly float down onto the ground. Who was this man? He was not human!

"You are on the ground," he said.

**X**

The girl trembled violently in his arms. He, at first, could not comprehend why. He saw her more than once hauled indecently on his half-brother's back, soaring through great heights. She couldn't possibly be afraid of falling, and it was not because she feared him. But then, he recalled that she didn't recall any of those experiences. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. But how could that be?

This girl, who called herself Kagome, let go of his kimono and shakily slipped out of his arms and onto the ground. Sesshoumaru stared at her for a few seconds and then turned away. What she wore must have been scandalous, even during her time. The garbs that she donned failed to even properly cover her arms and thighs, much less her ankles. Even the lowest of whores in his lands would not have dared to expose so much flesh.

"Where are you from?" she asked him softly, her voice now even with only the bare traces of a quiver.

"The Western Lands," he answered, staring at her expectantly, as if his answer should have meant something to her. Kagome flushed, and Sesshoumaru bit back a sigh of frustration.

"I know that. But you said that you weren't of this world. What world are you from?"

"Why does that matter?" he asked impatiently, facing her. "You do not possess the Shikon shards, nor do you your memory, nor the courage."

Brown eyes pierced into his golden ones. "What the—where do you get the _nerve_ saying that to me? I'm the one who tossed a girl over his shoulder from her home to leap up a tree! I almost fell! I could have died!"

Sesshoumaru turned and walked away from her, neglecting to respond. However, despite his belief that the girl would walk away from him also, she actually ran up and cut right in front of him. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the sight of her in front of him, angry and so exposed.

"You don't walk away from someone when they are talking to you! Some lord you are! You haven't a bit of courtesy for anyone else!"

Sesshoumaru walked around her. "When you live during a time of warring lords, you have no use for what you call 'courtesy'. Consider yourself lucky that I have not decided to kill you."

She did not answer for a few seconds. Sesshoumaru felt a smidgen of satisfaction; she was much too like Rin: talkative, romantic, and forever persistent.

"Warring lords or not, you just don't leave a girl alone on a dark street with only her nightclothes on!" she insisted, grabbing hold of his kimono robe-sleeve. "Take me home!"

Sesshoumaru shrugged her away.

"Take me home!"

He whipped around to face her. How the little chit infuriated him! She glared back at him, and Sesshoumaru, despite all of his self-restraint, felt his eyes fall upon the unveiled flesh of her legs. He quickly looked back up at her, tightly restraining his wandering gaze.

Slowly, Kagome walked up to him. Sesshoumaru debated whether to leave her here and dash off or to stay, but strangely her eyes trapped him to his spot.

"Please take me home. I don't recognize this street, and I don't want to get lost in this part of the neighborhood," her soft voice implored of him. Her brows furrowed, and Sesshoumaru was shocked that she would place so much trust in someone she purportedly did not know.

"Well? Will you?"

He did not know what had taken over his senses from that minute, for he nodded and said, "Very well."

**END CHAPTER**

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**End Notes**: Please do leave a review! They really do motivate me to write, and I would greatly appreciate it. :)**  
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	2. Discovering the Future

**Author's Notes**: A huge thanks to my beta, Skyisthelimit, for her fabulous beta job! Also, a huge thanks to those who have reviewed this story! You are all the best!

By the way, I know some of you have read this story before and are probably like _Wtf, why._ Well, after constant reading and re-reading, I decided to change a few things and revamp the storyline. Some of the contents of the chapter may seem very familiar and the others not. Just a note. :)

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**Oft in the Stilly Night**  
By: Callisto Callispi  
Chapter 2: Discovering the Future

It amazed her that despite living here all of her life, she had not heard one thing about some gang whose members dressed like the old Japanese aristocracy of the Sengoku jidai. She risked a quick peek up at his face and then cast her gaze back down. Those stripes on his cheeks and the crescent moon on his forehead… Were they symbols of his gang? They even tattooed themselves! Lord of the Western Lands, eh? It sounded like the title of some eccentric yakuza boss. Maybe it was good that she didn't give him her metro card—he could use the information to track her down again.

Wait, what was she thinking? He was leading her back to her house, for heaven's sake! He could track her down anytime he wanted. Kagome sighed suddenly. What a night to mess up her life. The crucial night just before her entrance exam…the night when she should be studying her brains out.

She wanted to say something to him, anything that would rid the awkward silence between them. She had never met someone so detached and reserved! But still, there was something about him that felt…familiar, like déjà vu. It was like dreaming a forgotten dream from years before. She felt some vague distortion of reality, but the feeling was not strong enough for her to clearly differentiate between reality and illusion.

Magnificent and bizarre as he was, Kagome felt easy and calm. The thought that he could rape her or kill her with his awesome strength hadn't crossed her mind at all. Quite on the contrary: Kagome felt…_safe_.

**X**

Sesshoumaru cocked his head towards more of those lit glass globes. What witchery was this, to keep these lit for so long? He could hear no crackle of fire within them…just an infernal buzz.

Sesshoumaru knew that he was in what Inuyasha referred to as "the future." He had never imagined it would be so…grotesque. What was this black stone that covered the ground, like cooled lava? What stench emanated from the gray clouds of smoke puffing out of the tall, hollow towers in the distance? He looked up. Where were the stars? He saw but a few of the brighter ones sparkling down at him. In his time, the stars seemed ready to spill out onto the ground like droplets of milk.

In his time…

Sesshoumaru's thoughts wandered back to the young miko—or girl—trailing him quietly. He had questioned himself multiple times: could he have been mistaken? Was she simply a girl who looked like Inuyasha's human lover, Kagome? Who was to say that the well had led him to a time in the future when she would still be alive? Was she, the real miko, even alive?

Sesshoumaru glanced back at the girl, feeling severely disoriented and not a little disturbed.

In his time, the miko Kagome was dead.

"Miko, how is it that you came to guard that well?"

He heard her start slightly before replying, "It-it's been in my family for generations. I actually don't guard it. My grandpa is the original caretaker, but he's getting old now."

"And you will assume his duties after he passes?" Sesshoumaru inquired.

Another pause. "I don't know. I haven't really thought about it before. I mean, I've never really gone through any traditional miko training. I know stories, you know, some fables about the well that I can tell the tourists. But it's nowhere near the depth of what Gramps knows. Anyway, he always told me that miko exhibit supernatural qualities. I don't know what that even means, but I'm pretty sure I haven't been doing anything supernatural." She laughed slightly, dismissively, at the notion of her having spiritual powers—the supernatural qualities her grandfather had mentioned.

Sesshoumaru, though he expected this sort of answer, was still slightly surprised at her casual response. Back in his time, this Kagome was a miko of the highest caliber. On even youkai standards, she had exhibited a very sophisticated level of spiritual awareness. As the reincarnation of Kikyo, she would not have had less. But now, Sesshoumaru sensed nothing from this girl. She couldn't tell the difference between youkai and human; she couldn't sense anything beyond what she could see. She was simply a normal human child, and it made him doubt his initial belief that perhaps the miko incarnate was still alive. But, then again, what sort of sorcery reanimated the dead so flawlessly? This Kagome was undoubtedly _alive_; all traces of death were scrubbed clear from her spirit, if they had existed at all. Kikyo smelled like a corpse—cold and putrid. Kagome—her scent was warm and fresh, like that of a living human female.

No, Kagome was not dead. In fact, she had never died. And yet, she still did not remember Inuyasha nor his time. Perhaps he had arrived at a juncture in time before she had fallen into the bone-eater's well? No, but that did not make chronological sense. This present miko was older by a few years than when Sesshoumaru had first cast his eyes upon her at the graveyard of Inutaisho. He remembered the day clearly, as that was when Inuyasha ran the Tetsusaiga through his arm. He barely noticed this Kagome then, but he did recall that he thought she was but a child. No, this miko was more woman than girl, which meant that she should have already made her trip down the well by now.

"Is there something special with the well that I should know about?"

The girl's voice jolted him from his rampant thoughts. Sesshoumaru was annoyed by this perplexing conundrum and her utter inability to contribute anything to finding a solution. He was tempted to tell her the truth: that she was the reincarnation of one of the most powerful priestesses of all time, that she was supposed to be dead, that she _needed_ to remember who she was. If she could gain back a fraction of the awareness of her capabilities, perhaps she could become an asset in this war.

"Look, it would help to know just what it is that you want. How can I help you if I don't know even that?" she questioned in response to his silence.

"You cannot help me. At least, not now."

"How do you know?"

_Because you are not you_, Sesshoumaru wanted to respond. But he kept his silence, and she did not speak again.

How he yearned for his own sanctuary, back in his lands, back in his time. Sesshoumaru looked around his surroundings, seeing nothing familiar. Even the trees here were dwarfed compared to the ones at his time. White stone carved the walkway, rectangular buildings of glass towered in the distance, and even his stars were gone. Could he get back to his own time alone? The well wouldn't allow him back—he had already tried. Nothing was familiar to him here. Nothing could help him. This was not his world. Marooned in a place and time not his own, Sesshoumaru had never felt his heart yearn more to return home.

**X**

"Do you want to…come in?" she asked him as they approached the temple stairway that led up the hill to her house. "I can give you something to drink." She was surprised at her own insistence. She was definitely beyond the point of politeness—she was acting out curiosity now, be it misplaced or not. Kagome watched him, feeling awkward in the face of his dismissive silence.

The man stared at the sky, eyes searching. "You mentioned something to me. A card, some token that can take me back to my land."

"Oh yeah, my metro card. Of course—you can have it. It's somewhere in the house. I have to find it."

Sesshoumaru turned to look at her, and Kagome instinctually stepped backwards. At that moment, with his shocking glare penetrating hers, Kagome _knew_ for certain that there was something about him that was not quite human. His appearance, while humanoid in nature, was far too refined to be human. His skin was too smooth, his hair too soft, and even his eyes… They were not gentle eyes. They were the eyes of a predator, cool and collected, with an absence of uncertainty or fear. His motions were quick, graceful, and efficient. There was no wasted energy in his movement or his speech.

But there was something else besides the physical that was different about him. For the first time in her life, Kagome felt something stirring deep within her, a sort of vibration touching her entire body, as if someone gently plucked the strings of an instrument of her soul. She was aware of him—she was aware of his existence. He was brimming with a vibrant sort of power, and Kagome felt her body tingle in tune to his presence.

"Your regard of me has changed, somewhat," he remarked.

Kagome jerked in surprise. "What… I mean, I don't know what you're saying."

The corner of his lips quirked, but the moment was fleeting. His gaze became impassive once more. "I will accompany you to your home. There, you shall provide me with the token."

Kagome blinked as he moved past her to elegantly traverse the stairs leading up to her house.

"Hey, wait for me!" she called, running to catch up with him.

The man who called himself Sesshoumaru waited for her on the doorstep, staring curiously at the brass knob. She fumbled for her keys in the pockets of her shorts and opened the door. The hallway was dark, and the only source of light came from the kitchen. She stepped in, kicking off her sandals and slipping on her slippers. She padded quietly down the hall, groping for the light switch and turned on the lights.

From behind her, she heard Sesshoumaru take in a quick breath. She glanced over her shoulder to find him staring incredulously at the lit lamp and the light on the ceiling.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"What is this?"

Kagome blinked. "What? It's my lamp. We bought it at a small boutique. I forget where. Why?"

Sesshoumaru stared at the lamp, neglecting to say anything.

She tilted her head, staring curiously at the gang leader in front of her. He claimed to be from the West. She knew some seedy people from that region, but they were never as eccentric as this one.

She led him to the living room. He stared impassively at the arrangement of the cream couches her mother had imported from the Italian furniture store in downtown Tokyo.

"Look, I'm going to go to the kitchen to brew up some coffee. Wait here for a few minutes all right? Then, I'll be down with my metro card."

Not even a glance in her direction. Kagome huffed. Way to show gratitude. With a "humph!" she made her way into the kitchen and collected water into the coffee pot.

**X**

Sesshoumaru gazed around the small room. He slowly walked up to the cream-colored seats and ran his hand over the cool, smooth surface. His gaze caught a thin rectangular screen of what seemed like black glass placed a distance from the seats. There were words on the bottom of the square...something in a foreign language that he could not make out.

"You can watch the television if you want, but don't turn on the stereo. My little brother's been messing with it, and it might go haywire on you," he heard the girl call from the kitchen.

She spoke his language, but for most of the time, he could not understand a word of what she said.

He turned around, gazing at the assortment of the white chairs, the upraised glass table in the middle, and the outlandish assortments of plants around the place. He moved toward a large canvas hanging on the wall and narrowed his eyes. On the canvas was an image of…the girl. His breath caught in his throat. The canvas was large and too realistic. She was in it, in the frame of smooth mahogany, standing next to a woman sitting down on a bench. She shared the girl's likeness. Her mother. Behind the mother stood a wrinkled old man with a toothless smile, and on the other side of the mother, a lad about thirteen years of age. They smiled down at him, not happily but serenely. He had never seen such precise lines before. It was almost as if the artist had captured a part of these humans' souls on the canvas.

Sesshoumaru stepped back. What a strange time this future was. Capturing souls for what a mirror could provide.

She called this the "living room" for lounging. Sesshoumaru scowled slightly. What a place. She truly was a witch. This whole family consisted of witches, with portraits of captured souls and strange rectangular slabs of black glass for decoration.

"Why don't you sit down?" she asked, coming into the living room, holding a cup of something black and steaming towards him. It smelled bitter. No doubt some foul human beverage.

Sesshoumaru stared at her, now with more distrust than before. He ignored her offering and narrowed his eyes. "You promised me passage to my lands, and I desire nothing more from you than that."

Kagome bit the bottom of her lip, annoyance creeping up on her face. She set the cup down with a discordant clatter on the glass table and walked out of the room. "Fine." Before she walked out, she turned back to him. "You know, I didn't ask to be involved in your affairs. I'm doing _you_ a favor, not the other way around."

Sesshoumaru growled, baring his sharp canines. The impetuous girl shrank back slightly, but she still maintained her defiant glare for a few more seconds before leaving. Sesshoumaru watched her retreating form, frustration coursing through his body. She was correct, of course. He was dependent on whatever sorcery she could invoke. She was his only connection to this world, his one speck of hope for a return to his land. But realizing this did not mean that he had to like it. He had accepted hospitality from one other being in his life: Rin, his most precious vassal. This Kagome reminded him too much of his little charge, and it made him feel weak. He needed to return to his time, and the sooner, the better.

**X**

Kagome cursed as she dug through the mess in her room to find her wallet. She heavily regretted bringing that wacko into her home, and thinking back on it, she didn't know why she even invited him in. Honestly, she was lucky to even be _alive_ right now with that lunatic running around. If she were a smart girl, she would have called the police to have this nut case taken away. She clenched her teeth and eyed the phone by her bed. All she had to do was pick up the phone and dial a few digits. Then this nightmare would be over, and the neon 10:41 PM blinking on her bedside clock would cease to loom over her like storm cloud, counting down until her dreaded exam.

She sighed and rubbed her eyes. She wasn't usually so irritable, but gnawing at the back of her mind was worry over tomorrow's exam. What would she do about tomorrow? After the night's bizarre events, she didn't think she would get any sleep. It wasn't as if she always needed sleep before an exam to do well. Her high school career was literally one sleep-deprived night after another, so she was fairly used to running on adrenalin during tests. Despite her overall good grades in school, though, Kagome was starting to feel suffocated by the prospect of exams. Tomorrow was the day of the nationally administered achievement test, which usually served as a screening for the prestigious universities. She had attended cram school for months now, and she thought she would do all right on the exam. But the lack of sleep and the night's crazy happenings worried her.

Kagome shook her head. Forget the police. Too much noise and trouble. Honestly, at this point, she just wanted to give that guy her metro card and get on with her life. He was a curiosity, she had to admit, and in some perverse way, she felt some sort of attraction to him. Well, not any more, that insensitive, arrogant jerk! It didn't matter how beautiful or curious a guy was—if he treated her like crap, like he did just now, forget him!

And where the _hell_ was her metro card?

After a few furious minutes of digging through the clothes on her bed, she found her wallet. Kagome breathed in deeply. _Okay, be cool_. She had a bit of a temper, she knew, but her mom always told her that losing control over one's temper already made you lose the fight. She would calmly and maturely give that guy the card and see him off on his merry way. With a firm nod, she made her way downstairs.

"It should be here," Kagome said as she walked down the stairs, busily flipping through her wallet to avoid the man's penetrating gaze. "Sorry—my wallet is stuffed with receipts and stuff. I should organize a bit more, but I always forget to." After a few seconds, she produced the card and handed it to him. "Here it is. My metro card. There should be enough credit on it to take you to Matsue."

However, instead of the grateful—or at the very least grudging—approval she was expecting, Sesshoumaru regarded her coolly, the frown on his face deepening. "What trickery do you attempt, witch?" he growled in a low voice.

Kagome's eyes widened in surprise, and instinctually she backed away a few steps. "Huh?"

Sesshoumaru bared his teeth once more, and Kagome's eyes widened as she thought she saw a streak of red glinting in his eyes. "This is no magical token. This is a scrap of paper."

Kagome blinked and mentally shook her head. She was imagining things, psyching herself out. "You asked for the metro card, and here it is," Kagome snapped, her courage renewed, her heart pounding. "What is the matter with you?"

"The matter with me, little _human_," he spat out, as if even speaking the word left a bitter taste on his tongue, "is your ignorance."

Her what? Say what? Kagome felt her temper flare, but before she could open her mouth to reply, she felt something hard encircle her neck and lift her high up in the air. Her hands shot up, clawing at what she felt to be fingers, and she found herself staring down into the murderous golden eyes of Sesshoumaru. He was choking her to death! How did he even get to her so quickly? She didn't even see him move!

"Remember yourself, human," he snarled as she whimpered and flailed against his chokehold. "Otherwise, your pitiful life will be forfeit. My patience wears thin."

"P-p-please," Kagome wheezed out. "I-I…"

His eyes narrowed.

"I-I can't breathe…"

A few torturous seconds ticked by before she felt his hand release her throat. Almost gently, he lowered her onto the ground, and as soon as he removed his hand, Kagome collapsed to the floor. Hot tears sprung into her eyes as the blood rushed to her head once more.

"Stand, miko," she heard his voice drawl from above her head.

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, but she made no move to get off the floor. Her knees were shaking too badly from that dangerously close brush with death, and no matter how much she wanted to, her muscles would not respond to the shocked commands from her brain.

When it became clear that she would not stand, she heard a gentle rustle of clothing and looked up to see Sesshoumaru turning to walk away. However, before he turned away completely, he stared at her from over his shoulder. His golden eyes full of disdain, and he said, "You are pitiful."

Kagome jerked, as if she were slapped in the face, eyes wide and face flushing. He had dismissed her, just like that. Something bubbled within her—beyond anger, beyond humiliation—and her whole body felt heated, as if something within her exploded with the force and intensity of a supernova. She must have whited out for a second; before she could stop it, she opened her mouth and screamed:

"_OSUWARI!_"

Her voice rang out within the living room. She had mustered all of her anger into that one command, and _damn_ it felt so _good_ to say it! Sesshoumaru suddenly stilled mid-step, as if someone had pushed the pause button, and Kagome would have giggled at how his foot was suspended in the air if she weren't so shocked and confused at her outburst.

The silence that followed was thunderous in volume. Kagome slapped her hands over her mouth and blinked, feeling as if she had done something incredibly foolish and taboo. She watched Sesshoumaru turn around slowly, his eyes widened in unmistakable shock. He stared at her, for once his face unguarded, and she could discern confusion and surprise etched on his features.

"What…did you say?" he asked, his voice quiet yet colored with incredulity.

Kagome blinked again. "I-I don't know where that came from," she stuttered as she moved her hands from her mouth. "I was-I was just so mad because… And well, I guess it just slipped out. I-I never said that to anyone before."

Sesshoumaru regarded her, his impassive mask slowly slipping back into place. However, the look in his eyes suggested much more than just disdain. Rather, he seemed almost…contented. Kagome was sure he would be pissed off at her for telling him to sit, as if he were a dog.

But on the contrary: he tilted his head, a frightening smirk slowly lifting a corner of his lip. Kagome scooted back, more than a bit frightened at his sudden mood swings.

"Perhaps there is some use for you yet, little human," Sesshoumaru said silkily, baring his canines.

Kagome's mouth suddenly felt dry.

Oh, crap, what did she get herself into?

**END CHAPTER**

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**End Notes**: As always, please leave a review! Even a few words of encouragement or constructive criticism would be wonderful!**  
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	3. Kagome's Touch

**Author's Notes**: The third installment of this fic! I'm actually quite happy with this chapter, which is something that I do not say very often. A lot happens, a lot more questions are asked, and the answers...well, let's see if you can figure it out? :p Enjoy!

**Disclaimers**: It occurs to me that despite the obvious fact that I do not own Inuyasha, I should plug these in...just in case. But honestly, would anyone really sue me over this fanfiction? I hope not. Because if they do, even with my savings for law school and the occasional night out in the city, I would probably spend the rest of my life in debt and have my wages garnished until I'm losing my teeth. Where was I...? (Oh, I don't own Inuyasha.)

* * *

**Oft in the Stilly Night**  
By: Callisto Callispi  
Chapter 3: Two Jewel Shards; Kagome's Touch

_Osuwari. _

That demeaning command, usually reserved for his scum brother, rang in his ears. How dare this loud-mouthed, under-clothed little chit use that command on _him_, the feared Lord of the West? Sesshoumaru was now convinced that her memories had been suppressed somehow, for who would so thoughtlessly issue such a mandate if they were familiar with his person? Even a fool with a death wish would opt for a less gruesome passing.

But on the other hand, for her to say such a disgustingly intimate thing, especially in the deepest blaze of anger, revealed to him that that some essence of the miko from the past still remained, tightly locked away within some part of her soul.

Sesshoumaru was torn between annoyance and approval, and though his claws itched to dismember at least a limb, his rational mind restrained his murderous urges.

"Human," he called to her, darkly gratified at how she started at the sound of his voice.

She eyed him warily as she stood. "My name is Kagome," she bit out.

"You have used such a command before," he continued, haughtily ignoring her. "Do you know on whom you used that command most frequently?"

The spark of recollection was but extinguished in her eyes. "I told you—I've never said that to anyone before. A dog, maybe, but certainly not a man."

Sesshoumaru's hand itched to wrap itself around the miko's throat. Perhaps fear would bring the miko to her senses, he thought ruthlessly. But as Sesshoumaru saw her edge away from him and out of the room, he clenched his teeth, knowing that this human replied better to coercion rather than violence. Besides, he needed her alive and somewhat cooperative if he wished to use her against Kikyo.

"You will remain in the presence of this Sesshoumaru," he declared imperiously.

As expected, the girl stilled, though her expression was more of surprised insolence rather than compliance.

"This Sesshoumaru will tell you who you are, and you will remember. In this time and place, you are not your complete self, for your soul is not just of this world."

She blinked incredulously, though a sort of reluctant realization tensed the corners of her pursed lip. Was she finally starting to remember? The girl closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

"Am I an alien?" she finally asked, her voice tremulous, as if the words were difficult to get out.

Sesshoumaru frowned. This conversation was not going where he had hoped it would go. "You are a miko. A miko with the power to see and sense the Shikon no Tama, a most destructive weapon."

The girl's brows furrowed. "Look, I don't know who you are and what you want, but I _really_ think you have the wrong person," she said calmly. "I've lived here all of my life. I was born here in this very house. I am of this world."

Sesshoumaru felt a surge of irritation. What was needed to remind her of her role in his time? For one of the very few times in his long life, Sesshoumaru wished Inuyasha were here. If the threat of death wouldn't compel her to remember, perhaps the hanyou's abrasive mouth could verbally abuse this stupid human girl to a point where she _had_ to remember who she was in order to shut him up. His brutal methods, however, had one glaring flaw: Inuyasha, too, was dead.

"And that Shikon no Tama. It's a legend. A myth! Gramps tells stories of that jewel, and he sells little glass marbles to tourists as souvenirs," Kagome went on. "It's not a real thing, and don't think that I don't know anything about it."

Sesshoumaru would have felt almost insulted at her casual dismissal of his claims, if he hadn't momentarily tuned her out. He sensed a familiar, unwelcome presence. His eyes widened marginally when he recognized the foul, corpse-like scent. Even here?

Quickly, he went to the girl's side and pulled her arms. "You say the Shikon no Tama is a myth," he murmured as she crashed into his chest. Then, with her secured in his arms, he bounded out of the house. "This Sesshoumaru will show you the power of such a myth."

"What are you doing—" she shrieked.

He flew in the air, his eyes narrowing as he saw a black swarm of demons pursue him from behind.

Kikyo's bees.

**X**

Kagome took in a big gulp of air. Not again!

She was convinced now that Sesshoumaru was not human. He was an alien!

"Where are you taking me?" she gasped, wildly wondering if he was abducting her and carrying her back to his spaceship or whatever.

He, predictably, did not answer her. Kagome gripped his kimono, and as she stared over his shoulders, she almost screamed. Bees. Huge, mutated bees with red eyes. More aliens!

"Where are you, accursed miko?" she heard Sesshoumaru snarl. "Show your face!"

Whatever answer he demanded, he did not receive. He turned around in the air and, with his free arm, swiped at the bees. Green, noxious gas accompanied by large white arcs of light shot towards the bees. The bees screeched as the arc shredded their bodies. The rest that the arcs weren't able to reach, the green gas melted the their flesh.

Disgust and horror sapped the blood from Kagome's face. She couldn't even scream. She watched as hundreds more of those bees appeared from the dark horizon. For a few more minutes, this white-haired alien fought afloat in the air. Kagome gripped more tightly onto his kimono, and with her head buried in his chest, she could feel the quickening beat of his heart.

"I cannot fight thus," she suddenly heard him mutter. The arm around her shifted slightly. "You will conceal yourself whilst I battle."

"What? But—"

Without consulting her further, Sesshoumaru jumped down onto a tree branch, settled her against the trunk, and then jumped up again. Kagome clung to the mossy edge, hissing as she slipped. Stranding her on a tree at his whim was becoming an unwelcome pattern tonight.

As soon as she regained her balance, Kagome looked up to search for Sesshoumaru and, spotting him, was momentarily dumbstruck as the taciturn, alien man transformed into some warrior god of legend. He glowed with an almost ethereal light under the silver full moon. His white kimono, pristine even in the midst of bloodshed, whipped in the air, perfectly in tune with this fluid movements. Amazing. It was like watching a ballet. He was so graceful, even in this never-ending combat. Though the numbers of aliens attacking him did not diminish, he showed not signs of tiring and continued to fight in his elegant way. Death and destruction in a being of such beauty. He lived up to his name well.

Kagome felt herself tremble, the full force of this night's strange occurrences hitting her with staggering force. _This is a dream_, she whispered in her mind, watching the silken movements of the man called Sesshoumaru. _There is no way this is actually happening._

A piercing scream echoed in the night sky, and though the scream was muffled by the wind and distance, Kagome knew without a doubt that what she heard was a woman's scream. Suddenly, Kagome felt something like an electric jolt course through her body, as if an invisible hand reached into her chest and squeezed her heart. She crumpled against the branch, feeling as if her heart would burst. The throbbing—almost painful—feeling did not leave her. Rather, it pulsed within her blood, like a liquid fire.

Something was near, and it was coming closer.

What was it? She felt her fingertips grow hot. This force—she had felt it before, and Kagome swallowed down a sudden sense of impending doom.

Just then, she heard something buzz behind her. Kagome froze and her breaths drew short. She glanced over her shoulder and gasped. Bees, hundreds of them, shot towards her, their stingers pointed out. Kagome screamed.

**X**

The bees hoarding towards him began to decline in number. Sesshoumaru was pleased. Either he had killed most of the ones sent to this timeline, or they were being called back. Whatever it was, Sesshoumaru was relieved. His arms were beginning to get heavy.

Suddenly, the girl's scream pierced his ears. He whipped around, and his eyes widened. Now he knew why fewer bees were attacking him: they were attacking the girl! With blinding speed, he shot towards her and scooped her into his arms just in time. Only a split second later, eight bee stringers pierced the tree branch. Sesshoumaru flew up into the sky and glanced over his shoulder to see the branch splinter and fall to the ground.

"They-they almost got me," she whispered shakily.

"I should have known," Sesshoumaru remarked, his arm securing her waist, "that those bees were not attracted to me. They were attracted to the miko incarnate. I shall not make that mistake again."

She breathed out shakily. "Where are we going?"

"Away. There are too many, and I cannot fight them off with you strapped to me."

"No, wait! Stop!"

Sesshoumaru down stared at her in question. She looked back up, her eyes sparkling with fear.

"I sense something."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. She sensed something? A human with practically no spiritual powers sensed something? Was it possible that she was finally awakening?

"We must go back. It calls to me," Kagome whispered, voice strangely hypnotic.

Sesshoumaru stopped, but not because of her remark. He, too, sensed a presence…a very _large_ presence. He looked over his shoulder, and what he saw pursuing him almost made him curse.

"It's that! It's that!" the girl cried.

A giant bee, fifty times as big as the already overgrown bees, followed him with amazing speed. The sight of the hairy monstrosity caused Sesshoumaru's eyes to narrow in disgust. Its hair-ridden legs wriggled like giant worms, and snapped its crab-like pinchers at him menacingly. Its stinger dripped with a sticky, milky venom. Sesshoumaru recognized that putrid smell. It was a rare poison, especially fatal to dog demons, natural to only certain types of insects.

"It has something in it!" the girl he held cried, tugging at his kimono.

Sesshoumaru kept a level stare at the bee's large red eyes, sizing his enemy up.

"Can't you see? It's what's causing it to be so big. Right in its head. Some sort of—of a jewel!"

Sesshoumaru now indeed looked down at Kagome. "You see the jewel shards?" he asked, voice slightly breathy from the fight and his shock.

"It looks like a jewel shard, all right," she replied, her lips set in a determined line.

He almost smiled. Yes, he suspected from the very beginning. She was indeed the reincarnation of Kikyo, untainted and alive. How fortunate he did not kill her. Perhaps in her hands, this Kagome could purify the jewel instead of further blackening it like her predecessor. Perhaps she could even undo the deranged miko's enchantments.

Now all he needed to do was to get them back to his time and see if he could prove his theory true.

"What business do you have with me?" Sesshoumaru asked, his deep voice unusually loud, as the bee approached him.

"I have no business with you, my lord," the bee answered in a grating voice, as if his vocal chords had been shredded and then sewn back together with a blunt needle. "But the human in your arms, I do require."

Sesshoumaru felt the girl in his arms tense at the remark. She gasped, fearing that he would give her up to this monstrosity. "She is but a human child. She is of no use to you," he answered coolly.

The bee laughed. "Why is she in your arms, Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands? What interest does a lowly human hold to your royal pedigree? Spare yourself the disgusting odor of that foul creature. Give her to me to dispose of. My lord should not be bothered with such menial tasks."

"She is my business, bee."

"I will have to insist that you give her to me, Lord Sesshoumaru, or I shall be forced to take drastic measures."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly. "Under whose orders?"

"Under the orders of my Mistress Kikyo."

The name, not uttered until now, thundered voluminously. Her name carried so much power that Sesshoumaru thought he could feel that witch's presence, though that was quite impossible. Kikyo would not risk herself now by facing her predecessor, especially if she were not familiar with this Kagome's inability to remember or control her previous powers. No matter how prideful, Kikyo was still a venomous, calculating creature. At least, that is what Sesshoumaru hoped.

"Convey to that foul creature you call your mistress that she will not have her reincarnation. Not while I, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, live."

The bee bared his fangs. "I'm afraid that I cannot do that, _dog_."

Sesshoumaru's eyes further narrowed. His grip on Kagome tightened as he flexed his other hand. Green steam fumed from his fingertips. "You will pay for your indignity. Die." He quickly swiped his claws at the bee.

The bee was very powerful. His poison did not even affect it, though the fumes were toxic enough to melt the trees around them. Sesshoumaru wished he could put the girl down somewhere, but he had no doubt that as soon as he let her go, Kikyo's bees would snatch her up within seconds. He could not risk leaving this girl, at least not while she proved to be useful to the fight against Kikyo, and for Kikyo to open a passage in time with the jewel shards and risk their loss meant that this young miko was a valuable commodity indeed.

The bee rumbled in laughter, all the while, keeping its red gaze on the girl. "Lord Sesshoumaru, spare me your play. I am in quite a rush to return to my mistress. Hand over the girl, and I shall spare your life."

He smirked slightly. "We shall see who spares who, insect."

Sesshoumaru then charged at the bee, his claws poised and ready. As soon as he got close enough, he swiped at the bulging bulging, slicing it in half. Torrents of green and black blood gushed from the wound. He heard the miko in his arms gasp in horror, though she did not scream.

Suddenly, the insect released large needle-like stingers from its mouth, as if it could not even feel the pain of half of its mass dangling from its thorax. Caught by surprise, Sesshoumaru moved a fraction of a second too slowly to dodge them, biting back a curse when he felt a dull thud against his left shoulder. One of the needles struck him! To add insult to injury, regardless of the huge gaping wound, the insect laughed as it quickly re-made itself, the wound melting shut. Sesshoumaru grimaced.

"I am indestructible, my lord. Fighting me is of no use."

"Aim at his forehead, to the left, where the jewel shards are," the girl whispered to him, her eyes wide with fear. "The shards are the source of his power. If you take them out, he won't be able to re-attach himself like that."

Sesshoumaru stared down at her. She really could see them. "How many does this one possess?"

"I don't know. Five, maybe. No. Six. But they're very small."

Sesshoumaru cocked his free arm. It felt heavy from his battles, previous and now. He was quite tired of combating these monstrous insects. They were things to be squashed under his feet, not regenerating so vexatiously.

"You are hesitant to battle me, Lord Sesshoumaru?" the bee taunted.

He scoffed and rushed towards the bee, cocking his claws to swipe at the bulging abdomen once more.

The bee laughed, relaxing its battle stance. "Try as you might, you shall not harm me!"

This one moment of cockiness was the only opening he needed. In its confidence, the bee relaxed its guards, and Sesshoumaru intended to take advantage of it. Quickly, he moved up to the bee's head and slashed at its forehead, just as the girl instructed him to.

The bee lost all of its humor with that strike. It shrieked loudly, so loudly that Sesshoumaru felt as if his ears were bleeding.

"They're falling! Two of them! There!" the girl cried.

Sesshoumaru saw them almost as soon as she did. They sparkled like diamonds in the moonlight. Avoiding the poison stingers that the bee shot at him, he lunged towards the shards, catching two in his hands.

"You fool! You dare to steal the shards of my mistress, Kikyo?" the bee bellowed, seeming to rumble even the night's sky. Blood ran freely from its forehead as it shot around, struggling to catch the jewels spilling out of its head along with an inordinate amount of guts and blood. The insect was in no condition to battle.

"_She_ is your mistress, you filthy insect. Look at her." He forced Kagome's grip loose, making her look up to the bee. "She is your mistress, not that the witch, Kikyo, who dares to call herself miko."

The bee stared into the girl's eyes. Sesshoumaru, too, glanced at her. Her gaze, though frightened, did not waver.

"Go now. Tell your mistress what I have said—if she does not kill you first."

The bee gave a shrill cry of defeat, and after springing its poison stingers at Sesshoumaru once more, flew off with the remaining bees following its trail.

After the battle, the night fell silent once more. Sesshoumaru remained in the air for a few more minutes to listen for any sign of further attack. When he could hear nothing but the soft breeze of night, he lowered himself down to the grassy field near her home. He breathed in softly, depositing the girl down onto grass, and tightened his grip on the jewel shards.

**X**

Kagome almost wept as her feet met the solid surface of the earth. This was scarier than any roller coaster ride—so scary that she had not even been able to scream. Kagome looked up to Sesshoumaru, her eyes widened. "You're bleeding!"

He stared down at his left shoulder where one of the insect's needles poked out. He grimaced and, without even flinching, pulled out the stinger. He softly murmured something as some residue milky liquid dripped from its tip.

"Are you all right?" she asked, managing to stand. She went up to him slowly, and reaching him, she tentatively held a hand out near his shoulder. Sesshoumaru did not move. She looked up to find his eyes closed. Gently, she ran her hands over the bloodstained spot on his kimono.

"I can have it washed for you, if you'd like."

He opened his eyes. Was it her imagination or were his eyes getting clouded?

"My god, are you all right?" Kagome asked, setting a hand to his wound.

"Do not touch me, filth!" he sputtered, drops of sweat glistening on his forehead.

Kagome stepped back suddenly, noticing the left shoulder where the stinger had pierced it. The milky liquid must have been poison. Even though he stood as if nothing bothered him, Kagome spotted his stance growing lax.

"I must…" he started and then he trailed off. He took a step, swaying slightly.

"You're in no condition to be up," Kagome said firmly, moving towards him.

"Do not come near me."

Despite his protests, Kagome tossed his arm around her shoulder, and slowly, she progressed to the inside of her house. It was not an easy walk, with Sesshoumaru a full head taller than her and him weakly resisting her every step of the way. However, just as Kagome stepped into the hallway, Sesshoumaru stopped his struggling and started to—rather hesitantly, to be sure—cooperate. His feet now gently moved with hers, and his arms around her became lighter.

Kagome bit her lip. She looked up at the intimidating stairs leading to the guest bedroom. Could she make it?

"Oh, no, no way," she answered herself in a squeaky voice as Sesshoumaru suddenly collapsed on top of her. She half-carried, half-dragged him into the living room, and as soon as she was there, she tried as gently as possibly to settle him down onto the couch. She flinched as he landed with a sudden whoosh on the cushions.

"Sorry," she said quickly, though he probably couldn't hear her.

She placed a pillow under his head and quickly ran off to the kitchen. She got an ice pack from the freezer, some towels, and a first aid kit. She bit her lip. Oh, what else? If she had only taken that first aid class at school! She had no idea on how to treat poison. The only thing that Kagome remembered was in a movie where a girl had to suck the venom out of her husband's leg after he was bitten by a snake. Kagome paled slightly as she spotting the ever-darkening blood spot on the shoulder of his kimono. She did _not_ want to have to resort to that.

She reached the coffee table and set down the ice pack and towels. Kagome grimaced, seeing his chest fall and rise almost painfully. She opened her first aid kit and took out an assortment of bandages, tonics, and anti-disinfectants. She set them down on the ground near her and, with fumbling hands, began to loosen the kimono that he wore.

"What…are you…doing?" he managed to gasp out, surprising Kagome.

"Shh, don't speak. Save your strength."

She peeled off the bloody silk from his body and spread the cloth he wore underneath. She stared in horror at his bare chest. There was a big, bloody _hole_ in his shoulder! Surely he would need stitches and a month of recuperation before being able to move his shoulder, if he could ever move it again at all! She bit the inside of her mouth to stop herself from retching, wet the towel, and applied it to the wound, trying to clean up the gash. Kagome stared at his face. His eyes were open, just barely, but enough so she could see his clouded golden irises.

As soon as she cleaned up the wound, she rummaged through the bottles of medicine and found something that might help cease the spread of the poison.

_Venom-cleansing solution—for bee stings and contact with mildly venomous insects_, it read.

Kagome poured the solution onto the towel. She doubted that the producers had giant mutant bees in mind when formulating this product, but it never hurt to try.

As soon as she applied the wet towel to his shoulder, Sesshoumaru took in a sharp breath.

"Sorry, sorry..." she found herself saying again. She wiped the sweat forming on her brow and breathed in. The wound didn't cease its bleeding.

"I…am dying, miko," she heard him whisper throatily. "Leave me to depart with…my honor."

Kagome's fevered mind suddenly conjured an image of Sesshoumaru kneeling, beseeching her for a weapon to commit Seppuku. Ridiculous as the idea was, she stared at his face, suddenly angry. "You are _not_ dying. You aren't going to die." She could not stare at his face anymore because his words frightened her. Indeed, she thought that he would die. Kagome wanted to cry—she didn't want anyone to die in her living room, especially someone who had saved her life about three times in the last hour.

Then, just as she felt hot tears rush up into her eyes, his hand—the one clutched tightly in a fist—started to glow pink. Eyes wide with fear and wonder, she scrutinized the glow. Dropping the tonic-drenched towel, she reached out for his hand, mildly surprised that Sesshoumaru maintained the presence of mind to keep his hands fisted around the shards for so long.

After gently prying his fingers loose, Kagome held the two glittering jewel shards in her hands. They were spotted, as if there were some black carbon spots trapped within the otherwise clear shards.

At once, a flood of images that she could not decode assaulted her mind. She groaned slightly, swaying, grabbing her spinning head. She closed her eyes, struggling to keep herself up. Brief flashes of scenery passed through her mind. She saw green fields reaching forever to the horizon, undisturbed by pavement and tar. She remembered the sweet smell of the land. There was once a forest—a healthy, lush forest—and nailed to the bark of a giant tree by an arrow through the shoulder was someone. He was held captive to that tree…someone wearing something red…

Kagome opened her eyes before she could see anything else. The shattered visions ceased there, like a broken tape. As the mist in her mind cleared, her gaze fell upon the dying man on her couch. The coloring of his face, previously glowing under the moonlight, now resembled more the pallid white of paper.

The jewel shards, suddenly clear and glowing pink, twinkled. She felt her fingertips warm up, as they had before when she was on that tree branch, and also glow pink. Gingerly, she placed her palms on his bloody flesh.

**X**

Nausea assaulted his body. He was so hot and cold at the same time. If he had enough strength left, he would have liked to smile. So, the mighty Lord of the Western Lands would die by a bee's poison and in the care of the reincarnation of his most despised foe, Kikyo, his blood flowing in a time that was not his own. This was not the glorious death he had in mind.

In his final moments, Sesshoumaru was surprised that the dying words of his brother came to mind.

"_Kagome…the one with the purifying touch… She had such power, but she still… If you ever see her again… Please tell her…to come back home._"

Sesshoumaru had not bat one eyelash when his brother's eyes closed for the final time, though he had felt a loss in his heart too great for comfort. He remembered standing there in the grimy light of a flickering candle, staring as the hanyou's silvery youkai mane bled into dark black. Inuyasha's face had reflected so much pain for the dead human, who by a bewildering twist of fate now stood vigil over him as he died. The hanyou died lonely, but this Sesshoumaru did not.

The poison was coursing through his chest now, numbing every organ that it touched, including his lungs. It would soon reach his heart, and he would die. Dimly, he felt her hands on his skin, and he dizzily thought, _What soft, warm hands._

Then, shocking heat spread throughout him. Sesshoumaru bit back a moan as he felt his corrupted, stagnant blood rushing once more through his arms, shoulders, and chest. He could literally feel his heart restart, forcing back the youkai power through out his body to overpower the corrosive poison. The heat was blindingly painful, even for him, who suffered innumerable battle wounds. His whole body felt as if it were on fire! But he could feel the poison burning away into nothingness as she purified his blood.

After what seemed like an eternity, the girl removed her heated hands, and Sesshoumaru took in a deep, gasping breath. His whole body tingled, each cell electrified from her touch. But he was _alive_! He could again feel the cushion under his head, he could feel his arms upon the chair where she laid him, and he could once again feel the painful throb of his wound. No longer was he numb.

When he opened his eyes, his vision so clear and sharp that it almost shocked him. The haziness, the blur—it was gone! Then, he saw the face of the human, the miko. She was staring at her shaking hands, stained with his blood. She, too, was marveled by her feat.

Sesshoumaru took another deep breath, relishing the sweet air entering his body.

She looked up at him. "How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"You have removed the poison."

She once again stared at her hands, one clutching the jewel shards, the other bloody. Then, with a small gasp, her eyes once again fell to his shoulder. Blood still ran down freely from his open wound, and quickly, she set the bloody jewel shards down onto the table and started to tend to his wounds.

Sesshoumaru watched her carefully, wondering how she could have harnessed the power of the Shikon jewel to rid his body of the poison without destroying him in the process. She was, after all, the miko with the purifying touch. She should have killed him in the process. He peered at the two tiny shards of the jewel. They were but half the size of a small needle, yet they contained so much power. And this woman! To master such power…

"This will sting. A lot," she said above him.

And it did. She wiped his gash with a cold, wet cloth but it felt as if she were burning his skin with liquid fire. The pain, however, was nothing compared to the awesome purification that he endured earlier. Sesshoumaru maintained his stony visage and clenched his jaw.

"Hold still. I need to get a needle and thread. I'll have to stitch you up."

"There is no need," said Sesshoumaru stoically. "I am of strong blood. Wounds do not last very long on my body."

"But you're bleeding so much!"

He looked into her dark eyes. "All I require is rest."

She hesitated, still staring down at him with anxiety, at a loss of what to do. Then, she kneeled back down onto the floor. "Then let me bandage it, at least."

Sesshoumaru felt something like annoyance once more creeping in his mind but obliged when she started to unravel the white cloths. This miko saved his life, and it would be discourteous of him to refuse her request. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes as her hands wrapped the cloth around his shoulders. After she was finished, Sesshoumaru started to get up, but the girl pushed him back down.

"You should sleep. It's almost midnight."

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You've lost much blood."

At her words, fatigue overtook him like a wave. He breathed in once more and closed his eyes. "Very well."

**X**

_A time once existing that ceased to exist…_

_"Inuyasha!" _

_Kagome sat up her in cot, her forehead beaded with sweat. She whipped around, panicked to find the hut empty. Then she remembered that Miroku and Sango had headed out to the trail to make sure that no demons had been placing curses. As the youkai got more powerful, they were setting traps more and more frequently. Inuyasha, as always, slept under the stars on the roof._

_Just then, Inuyasha bounded in, his sword up and his stance that of a warrior's, preparing for a fight. _

_"What's the matter? What happened?" he demanded._

_Kagome smiled sheepishly up at him. "Sorry, Inuyasha. I had a nightmare."_

_He scowled at her, relaxing his stance. "I can't believe you. Humans are way too emotional. I can't wait to become a full-fledged demon."_

_Kagome merely laughed, which she knew puzzled Inuyasha. _

_"What's wrong with you? I thought that you would 'Osuwari' me or something for that one."_

_Kagome kept laughing. It was laughter of relief. Her dream frightened her so much. She was with Sesshoumaru, kneeling by Inuyasha's dead human body, weeping. _

_"Hey! Snap out of it. You're scaring me, Kagome. Really, what's wrong with you?" Inuyasha snapped, coming into the hut and sitting on the ground next to her. _

_Kagome smiled sadly up at him, silently wondering whether she could live without him. She had grown to love him so._

_Suddenly, she laid her head upon Inuyasha's leg and pulled her blankets to her body. His lap was much more comfortable than any pillow. _

_"Kagome..." she heard him say above her softly. "What's wrong? What was your nightmare about?"_

_She neglected to answer him and simply replied, "Could you stay here until I fall asleep, Inuyasha? Just for a bit?"_

_"Sure," came his gentle answer. _

_Kagome sighed comfortably and closed her eyes. She was lulled to sleep by his fingers on her scalp, and she thought then: I wish it could be like this forever..._

**END CHAPTER**

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**End Notes**: You know it: review if you liked the story! (You know you want to.) I will give you cookies. Yum.


	4. Restless

**Author's Note**: Much of this chapter was influenced by the season four finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Super random, I know, but if you're familiar with the series, you'll understand why. Throwback to the 90s, but a worthwhile one!

**Warning**: This chapter will be more horrific and gory than others. I love writing horror, and it often slips into my writing. So, though this is technically action/adventure, there will be elements of horror along the way. Maybe I should just change the genre. :p

**Disclaimer**: I own less in this chapter than I usually do. The chapter title pays homage to Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer series and specifically to a certain episode with the same title. And, of course, Inuyasha is most definitely not mine.

* * *

**Oft in the Stilly Night**

By: Callisto Callispi

Chapter 4: Restless

Sesshoumaru dreamed.

Perhaps the poison wasn't so completely eradicated from his system as he thought it was, and it was doing strange things to his brain. Or perhaps the strange distortion in the space-time continuum tore little scars in the fabric of reality and allowed him to glimpse things beyond. Or perhaps he was just very, very exhausted from the night's events.

He hardly ever slept deeply enough to dream, for he disliked losing his consciousness to even rest. Yet, there he lied on the strange cream-colored "couch," eyes closed, and chest rising and falling rhythmically.

Sesshoumaru watches with eyes all-seeing. They are the eyes of a latent god who looks but never acts.

So tranquil, his sleeping face. So unguarded.

Someone could plunge a sword through his heart, and he would die in his sleep unknowing.

Why wouldn't he wake up? The enemies were supposed to attack two hours ago at dawn.

Or was it dawn two years ago? He cannot remember when the sun stopped waking.

"_You are careless, Sesshoumaru. You leave your left side open to attack."_

Sesshoumaru turns to face his father in the darkened grove and grimaces, adjusting his battle stance. "I apologize, Father. It will not happen again."

He is in the courtyard of his home. It is a dark winter night and it is snowing, but the snow is curiously frozen in place in the air, as if time had stopped.

His father walks up to him, tall and imposing. He stares at Sesshoumaru, lips tightening in disapproval. "How can one properly protect his land if one cannot properly protect himself?"

Sesshoumaru flinches in response, heat weakly blossoming around his cheeks. "The power of the Shikon no Tama is formidable, Father, but the miko refuses to aid us. I hold no fault."

The Inutaiyokai scoffs. "Your little miko paints portraits of herself." He looks to his left and nods, indicating a small clearing under the cherry blossom tree.

The miko sits there on top of the snow with papers and ink blocks scattered around her. She holds a jade-handled brush in her hand and makes long, full strokes across the paper.

"She paints with frozen ink," the Inutaiyoukai murmurs, somewhat displeased.

"Her soul is her ink," Sesshoumaru points out, gesturing to the strange photographs of her and her family hanging on the tree like paper ornaments. "Though she refuses to turn on the ster-e-oh."

"Yes, it would be most unfortunate if she were so obliging," the Inutaiyoukai agrees.

_This war will cost much in lives and time._

On top of one of Kikyo's mutant bees, equipped with a saddle and bridle, Jaken bows his head. He rides in said saddle and pulls on the reins to come to a halt. The bee neighs, aggravated to be carrying such a burdensome load.

"My lord, the Lady Rin is trapped in a well, and she cannot get out," Jaken reports stoically, and Sesshoumaru thinks he can hear her humming. The song echoes off the subterranean walls, deep in the earth.

"At least she will not die of thirst," Kikyo's voice chimes from the direction of the tree. Fire blazes and consumes her body, though Kagome is unperturbed and continues drawing.

"She stinks of death and age," Rin whispers brokenly, lifting herself from a puddle of mud and crawling towards him in the bloodied snow. The tree with the portraits blazes like an inferno.

But it couldn't be Rin who spoke, for her face is that of another Kagome. She drags herself on a carpet of broken Shikon shards, and she bleeds golden blood where the edges pierce her skin. The blood pools around her body, gold darkening into bronze and then murky brown. Her body melts like clay in a humid summer monsoon.

_She who cheats death will not perish. But perhaps the darkness will undo such folly._

"Can you heal the world?" he asks the puddle of flesh and blood that was the miko. No answer.

The fire rages all around him.

"Yes, I will heal it, but will you show me where I can sleep first?" the other Kagome replies from the grove, looking up from her paintings. She sits serenely under the blazing tree, her red and white miko robes in flames. Her eyes burn like rubies.

"I need time," he replies.

The ground falls beneath them, and Kagome of the grove too falls. He reaches out his strong left arm to catch her wrist. The miko Kagome stares up at him, suspended in the air like a lifeless doll.

"Time and tide wait for no man," she consents, as dark vine-like tendrils from the black chasm below crawl up along her other arm. "But I shall wait for you."

The black vines suddenly pull, but Sesshoumaru refuses to let her go. The miko howls in pain, her voice reaching pitches that even his ears cannot register, as she is slowly ripped apart right down the middle from her naval to her forehead. As if she is a piece of paper.

Greedily, the black vines wrap themselves like thick centipedes around their share of the miko as they pull her down into the darkness, tearing ligaments and wetly popping out bones out of their sockets.

The remaining half blinks up at him, her nose parted cleanly down the middle so her remaining nostril flares in exertion. Her one remaining leg kicks the air rhythmically, as if she is on a swing.

"Look—I'm just like you now. No left arm," she purrs with a devious half-grin.

Sesshoumaru then realizes he is holding onto Kagome with his missing left arm. She is falling though Sesshoumaru tries to grab her, but she is nothing but a portrait of miko, swaying gently in the wind like an autumn leaf.

"I wonder how she can see down there," Rin's voice again.

Sesshoumaru turns and sees black holes where her eyes should be.

"There is no light in my world," Rin says with a toothless smile.

The world is black and empty around him.

"And soon, there will be no light in yours either."

Sesshoumaru closes his eyes and breathes out. He loses himself in the abyss of sleep once more.

**X **

Kagome wiped her forehead, then quickly cleaned away the blood on the table and dabbed as much of it off the couch as she could without disturbing Sesshoumaru. The leather was permanently stained. Her mom was going to freak. There was just. So. Much. Blood.

Kagome clenched her teeth. Cleaning would be so much easier if she could stop shaking. God, why didn't her hands stop trembling?

She couldn't stand idle. She had to do something, or else she would pass out.

Kagome threw the bloodstained towels into the washer. She hesitated with his kimono and under shirts. They were spun of such fine silk, and she worried (she was surprised that she could even feel worry) that she might ruin them. She ran upstairs, turned on lukewarm water in the bathtub, tossed in a cup of the laundry soap, and let the clothes soak in the water. Wisps of blood—his blood—slowly tinged the water pink.

How could someone _bleed_ so much?

With a stony face, Kagome stepped into the pinkish water and started to scrub his kimono clean. After about a quarter of an hour, she gave up and hung the robes on the bathroom railing to drip-dry. There was nothing she could do about the tears or bloodstains.

What else was there to do?

Her head was buzzing as she slowly walked out of the bathroom. Kagome breathed slowly and deeply. She felt numb, head to toe, and she trembled violently. She read about this in Biology. She was in shock. Suddenly feeling sick, Kagome ran back into the bathroom and vomited into the toilet.

After a few painful minutes of heaving, Kagome flushed and closed the seat. Kagome felt tears well up in her eyes from the exertion. She tried to stand but failed. She was shaking, but less violently than before, and she wanted silence.

The bees… Sesshoumaru dying… so much blood all over her hands, her hair…

Kagome bit her lip and sat up straighter, pushing away the thoughts. She would have to deal with them later. First she had to get clean.

Kagome turned on the shower, stripped off her pajamas, and stepped into the hot stream of water. Immediately, she started to feel better. The water around her feet was horrifyingly red at first with Sesshoumaru's blood, but soon, it slowly drained and became clear once more. She scrubbed her body vigorously and washed her hair twice, as if shampoo and body wash could cleanse her memories as well.

She headed to her room, wrapped in a towel, and changed into a pair of warmer pajamas. She eyed her bed, feeling exhausted but absurdly awake at the same time. Kagome felt uncomfortable at the prospect of sleep. She had a strange man sleeping on her couch downstairs, quite possibly bleeding to death, and who knew when those monsters would strike? At least if she were awake, she could spot the danger and wake him up to fight.

Kagome picked up her alarm clock, books, and a small blanket. She slowly made her way downstairs and expelled her breath when she saw the man's glimmering silver hair fanned out over the cushions. So, he was real, and this was not a dream.

She threw the blanket over Sesshoumaru. In the kitchen, she set out another pot of hot water and made herself some green tea. Feeling considerably calmer, she sipped on the tea as she made her way out the kitchen and walked over into the living room, plopping down on the floor next to Sesshoumaru with a sigh.

Tonight, she had almost died, and tomorrow, she had an exam that decided her future. Surely, she should have been in hysterics, but next to him…she felt so much calmer. His mere presence was such a comfort to her. It was as if she knew him from some time before.

Over the rim of her mug, Kagome observed Sesshoumaru's slumbering face, feeling a bit guilty.

_Poor guy... It's not every day that you get attacked by killer bees._

…Or was it?

Her eyes strayed to her books, and she briefly wondered whether she should continue studying. She knew she needed to, but she didn't want to. Somehow, for the first time in her life, Kagome thought she found something more important than studying, like making the strange guest sleeping on her couch as comfortable as possible.

Cautiously, lest she wake him and he rage at her, she gently grazed her fingers over his cheekbone. His skin was impossibly smooth. In the dim shadows, with his eyes closed and his usually tense features calmed by sleep, Kagome thought briefly that he was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen.

Suddenly, Kagome snatched her fingers back. What was she thinking? She needed to get into college. This was just _one_ strange night in the span of her entire life. Tomorrow, she would see the stranger off, and everything that happened would fade like some unwanted nightmare. She wanted no part in this lunacy any longer.

Just as she was walking over to the kitchen table where she had settled her books, she heard a strange rapping at the backyard door at the far side of her kitchen. Kagome froze, feeling her body tense.

"Wh-who's there?" she whispered, peering into the shadowy area. She scanned the back windows, but the lights weren't on. She could see nothing but shadows, and yet she hesitantly stepped towards the door.

The rapping sounded again, though this time, she heard scratching as well, like jagged fingernails scraping glass. Something hissed.

Kagome took one more step, and then another, towards the door. The shadows shifted slightly, and the rapping became more urgent.

"_Sssssss…."_it hissed again.

The Shikon shards behind Kagome started to tremble and glow, but the glow was not pure. Within the shards, corruption spots appeared, slowly blossoming like black flowers.

"Who's there?" Kagome called, forcing her voice to be firm. She grabbed a knife from the kitchen counter, now more than halfway to the door. Her eyes kept flickering to the window, but all she could see were the boughs of the tree swaying with the midnight breeze.

The rapping and scratching, now more like a desperate, mechanic wail.

"_Sssssshhh…"_

Kagome held her breath. That voice!

"_Sssssssssshhhhikon maiden, Higuarssssssshi Kagome!"_

Goosebumps shot up Kagome's arm and neck, and all thoughts of confronting whoever (or whatever) was at the door fled from her mind. She knew that voice. It was the voice from long-forgotten nightmares!

"Go away!" she called in a cracking voice, backing up, her heart thundering in her chest. It knew her name. Her _name_!

"_Higurassssshi Kagome__, CURSSSSSED __and__ CONDEMNED!"_

"GO AWAY!" Kagome screamed, blocking out that voice from her ears and dropping her knife. She backed away, into the living room. "Go away, go away, go away!"

Kagome did the only thing she could think of doing. She grabbed onto Sesshoumaru and shook him, praying that he would wake up. She did not see the jewel shards on the table pulsating with their own ethereal heartbeats.

**X**

Sesshoumaru's eyes flared open as he felt something tugging urgently on this arm. He waited a few seconds for his vision to clear and found the frantic face of the miko above his.

He sat up immediately, his forehead just barely grazing hers.

"I heard noises," she whispered, peering over her shoulder towards what she called the kitchen. Sesshoumaru felt a pang of worry. Her face was pale. "It called my name."

Sesshoumaru abruptly stood from the couch and walked towards the kitchen. He noted that he still wobbled slightly. The poison must have taken quite a toll on his body. Or perhaps it was the miko's purification powers that weakened him so.

He scanned the kitchen carefully and focused his senses. After a quiet moment, he breathed out. There was nothing there. What haunted the miko must have fled, though Sesshoumaru could not discern any evidence of anything having visited them. He went back into the living room to inform the miko as such. She was sitting on the couch with her hands tightly clasped together.

"I sense nothing here, miko," he said, voice raspy.

Kagome hesitantly faced him. "Are you sure? I could have sworn…it…"

Sesshoumaru shook his head slightly. "It is gone."

Her face melted in relief. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. What caused the miko so much fright? Was he so unaware that he missed such a threat in his sleep? He could not let that happen again, not in such a dangerous time.

"I will keep vigil," he said, moving to go outside.

"No, please," she said, getting up.

He paused and looked over his shoulder. She wasn't looking at him, however. His eyes strayed to the subject of her observation. The Shikon shards. They were glowing dimly, though their internal light was quickly fading.

"I would feel much safer with you in here," Kagome said, getting up from the couch. She retrieved a few heavy texts from the kitchen and placed them methodically on the upraised glass table settled in front of the couch. She sat down and started reading, occasionally writing in a bound book of blank, lined papers, though it was painfully obvious to Sesshoumary that her mind was revisiting whatever frightened her so badly.

Sesshoumaru stood in the darkened living room. This miko was behaving strangely, more like a skittish animal than the cool-headed girl who wrapped his wounds. At long last, he sat down on the couch. He heard her breath a sigh of relief.

"I will rest, miko, to regain my strength," he said quietly as he reclined. "But it will not be as deeply as before. I will sense danger should it make itself known."

"Thank you," she responded.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes once more, the unfamiliar sensation of fatigue overtaking his body.

**END CHAPTER**


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